A wearable blanket is commonly used in lieu of a blanket to keep an infant warm while sleeping in the blanket-free environment currently recommended by pediatric experts and experts in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A wearable blanket is a garment that fully encloses both legs in one compartment or “bag” and has a sleeveless design to eliminate bulky sleeves that could, when placed proximate to the face, cause a microenvironment for rebreathing exhaled carbon dioxide. Rebreathing (i.e. the inhalation of carbon dioxide) is thought to be a possible cause of SIDS. The sleeveless design also eases the task of putting on and taking off the wearable blanket. An example of a wearable blanket is the SleepSack™ wearable blanket available from Halo Innovations, Inc. of Plymouth, Minn.
Swaddling of infants has been a common practice around the world for thousands of years. Swaddling, which is wrapping or binding around an infant, has traditionally been practiced using a blanket or strips of cloth which are tightly wrapped around the infant.
It is believed that this wrapping or binding comforts an infant and allows them to sleep more soundly. The reasons for this may be many. The snugness of the swaddle may feel, to an infant, like the snugness of the womb they left, giving them a greater sense of security. The swaddle, when used to bind the arms, may also prevent an infant's startle reflex from waking them up. The chest and abdominal pressure generated by the swaddle may even relieve colic which is thought to cause a “fussy” baby. Prior to the use of cribs and a safe nursery environment, a swaddle would also keep an older baby from crawling away when a caregiver was not watching.
The importance of a swaddle today is even greater with the advent of the Back to Sleep™ campaign which encourages parents and caregivers to place babies to sleep on their backs (i.e. supine position), a position which has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. Many infants do not tolerate this sleep position well, but tolerate it better when swaddled. In this case, the gentle chest pressure generated by the swaddle may be comforting to them similar to if the infant is sleeping on their stomachs (i.e. prone position).
While many infants tolerate swaddling, there are many that do not. One does not know until they try it. Further, while there is a “right” way and a “wrong” way to swaddle, most parents are left to learn this on their own, as most hospitals fail to teach proper swaddling to the parents of newborns.
There are, however, risks to swaddling. If swaddled improperly, an infant can easily work out of the swaddle, creating a loose blanket which has been shown to increase the risk of SIDS or strangulation. If they do not completely free themselves, the swaddle may migrate over their face, creating an equally dangerous situation. Even the best-swaddled infants will eventually free themselves as they get older. Further, if bound too tight, a swaddle can inhibit chest wall movement, compromising an infant's ability to breathe normally. In addition, if the swaddle binds the infant's legs preventing them from flexing and abducting normally, this may lead to the development of hip dysplasia.